eBay Watch: December 2011

Welcome to eBayWatch, December 2011 edition. As is the case every Christmas season, there were tons of decks that went over the $1k mark, and the prices went up the closer to Xmas it got! A lot of very lucky guys got awesome Christmas presents this year, but that is balanced out by the fact that January looks ridiculously bad. I’m only showing a handful of >$1k decks in January so far. So yeah, let’s hope it improves, but enjoy looking at December 2011 whatever happens!

So musically this month I owe a debt of gratitude to Ty Stranglehold 77 from S&B. He put together a list of best punk albums from 2011 and #1 was Night Birds and their album “The Other Side of Darkness”. Imagine Smogtown with a dash of early Dead Kennedys. Surf guitar and a bad-fucking attitude. The whole album is badass. The guitar has an evil edge to it and the songs are great. Basically it’s ace and Ty is spot on. Also I have to give an honorable mention to Detroit psychobilly heroes The Koffin Kats. They have a new album on Sailors Grave called “Our Way and the Highway” and it’s chockfull with their usual alcohol-fueled rants about girls, demons, and rock and roll. It’s fun as hell, and they put on a great show too. So check out both albums.

60s, 70s, early 80s.

So let’s start December off with an unusual 70s deck. It’s a Flite Flitewood Mark Lake deck from 1978. I’m assuming that like most companies from the 70s Flite had different lines of decks: fiberglass, plastic and wood. So this would be the Flitewood series, and the Mark Lake model in the Flitewood series. It measures 29 x 7.75 inches and has factory grip but has never been set up. It sold for $700.

Here we have a G&S SC ProLine complete from 1979. The SC stands for Side Cut! It also comes with the Superwide ACS 900 trucks and G&S Rollerballs in different colors. The complete is super clean: the trucks and wheels looks unridden and the deck is so shiny it looks like it rolled out of the shop yesterday! The trucks and wheels alone are fantastic, but taken altogether this is a great package. It sold for $809 on 23 bids.

Next up we have this Hobie Woody deck from 1977. It measures 28” x 7”, and is very clean. It’s factory gripped but never been ridden and it sold for $510 on 20 bids.

And here we have a Makaha “Molokai” skateboard all the way from 1963. The trucks are rusty and the clay wheels are dirty, but what would you expect from a board that is almost 50 years old? It’s an excellent chunk of early 60s skateboard history, and it sold for $600 on 16 bids.

Here we have a Dogtown Jim Muir “Red Dog” deck from 1978. It’s been lightly used, and although it’s been drilled for a tail skid, it is in really nice condition. It’s also the rare Formica bottom ply version, and that makes the graphic really pop off of the white. It sold for $900.

And here we have a real grail. It’s Dennis “Polar Bear” Agnew’s personal rider from 1978. The deck is a Z-Flex “Polar Bear” model prototype, set up with Gullwings, Z-Smooth wheels, Z-Grabbers and Z Skidplates. The hand-drawn artwork is by Venice artist Doug Smith. It is truly a museum quality piece, and it sold for $3,450 on 18 bids.

Here is a Santa Cruz 32” 5-ply wooden deck complete with ACS 580s and OJ 60mm wheels. The entire thing is totally minty fresh: the wheels and trucks are brand spanking new and the deck has never seen feet. This thing is soooooo nice! It sold for $760.

Here is a Dogtown Airbeam complete from 1979. It comes complete with NOS Trackers and NOS Gyro Dub-Cons. The deck has some wear and tear and fading, but is basically in very good condition. It sold for $3,000 on a Buy It Now, and the auction lasted approx. 7 hours.

Here we have a Sims Lonnie Toft 8-wheeler complete form 1978. It comes complete with 4 Tracker Mid-Tracks and 8 Sims Roller Snake wheels. The board has been ridden but is in above average used condition. The seller is very proud of it because he goes into a lot of detail about the entire board, from griptape to stickers. It is a board that you don’t see every day! It sold for $2,025.

And finally from the 70s this month we have this Dogtown Jim Muir Triplane from 1979. It comes complete with Independent 169s Stage IIs and Kryptonics C65s. The rails are Ugly Stix and it has half a Bird lapper (that was routine!). The whole thing is remarkably clean for a board that has been ridden and the seller got really lucky: he picked it up at an estate sale in New Jersey! Nice score, because I can’t imagine that he paid more than $100 for it, and yet it sold for a large $2,560 on 32 bids. Nice one Cyril!

Mid 1980s

So first up in the 80s section this month we have this Powell Peralta Ray “Bones” Rodriguez original “Skull and Sword” from 1982. Check out the snub nose on that bad boy! As the seller says, it has signs (?) of wear and needs cleaning badly, but it is all there. The top graphic says BriteLite, suggesting that this is the earliest version of this model, but other Powell experts might want to chip in? Now, interestingly enough, the seller did his best to make this set up completely crap, because not only did he add shitty Nash “Get a Grip” rails, he also added the shitty Nash XR-2 trucks! It’s an odd world out there. This complete sold for $400.

Here’s a beauty! It’s a Brand X “Ded Head” from 1985. It’s in NOS condition, never mounted or gripped, and that is super rare for any Brand X deck! The colorway is bland, but still, this is very desirable deck, and it sold for $710.

So let’s stay with Brand X for a while longer. This is the “Riot Stick” from 1987, and it comes complete with original Thunders (skull baseplates) and SC Bullet wheels. Yes, those are Thunders despite the Tracker sticker. Who the hell would do something like that anyway? The deck is used but not abused, and the colorway is rather tasty. It sold for $306.

Here we have a Santa Cruz ‘Street Creep” team deck from 1989. It is mint in shrink, and the black dip colorway is super sexy. It sold for $650 on 16 bids.

This is the best deck of the month, hands down. It’s a Seaflex Bob Denike “Rockabilly Cat” from 1983/4. It has some scratches and scuffs from storage, but has never been gripped or mounted, and might be one of the only NOS Denikes in existence! Bob Denike was big in the rockabilly scene back then, hence the pomp on the cat. Most remember the Boom Cat graphic, but this one is great too. Is it supposed to be Felix the Cat? Anyway, it sold for $550.

So here is the Vision Mark Rogowski “Street Scene” from 1990. This was Gator’s last deck on Vision, and was issues right before he committed the murder. Most were recalled from shops, or so the story goes, so it is supposedly a rare deck, especially with this top graphic. (The other was an ankh). This one is mint in red stain, but I’ve always found the graphic completely lame. There’s just too much going on and the detail is too small. Skate decks are normally seen form a distance, not examined closely, so the graphic has to be big to work. Otherwise it’s just so much artistic wanking. It sold for $325.

Here’s an Alva John Gibson “Cow Skull” from 1987. This is the full size model, which is far more rare than the mini model that you normally see. It’s still a pretty common deck though, so I was very surprised at how much this went for. After all, it’s an insipid colorway and it’s been set up and ridden, so for it to fetch $250 was a big surprise to me.

So this Santa Cruz Claus Grabke “Holding Back Time” from 1989 is the complete opposite! It is a relatively common deck like the Gibson, but this one is mint and in an amazing colorway. The purple stain is deep and gorgeous, and the red, yellow and blue graphic is vivid and eye-catching. It’s one of the best colorways I’ve ever seen for this deck, and it sold for $490 and was worth every penny!

I tell you what, get the right combination of name, graphic and colorway and you are on for a massive winner just before Christmas! And so it was with this Powell Peralta Tony Hawk “Birdclaw” from 1989. It’s mint condition, in the best colorway (black dip with purple forest background), and is the full size version. If you want this graphic then you want this colorway and condition. It is superb, and it sold for a large $1,378 on 36 bids. I tell you what; somebody got a merry Christmas this year!

So let’s feature another couple of Powell Peralta decks now, these being the Lance Mountain “Future Primitive” from 1986. We have two mint examples, both in superior colorways. First up if the black dip with red and gold graphics. It’s mint in shrink, and the colorway is uncluttered, simple and classic. It sold for $1,913 on 34 bids.

And then we have this yellow dip version with the silver aging effect and black and red main graphic. This one has been gripped but never ridden, so it’s not quite as pristine as the black one. However, the colorway gives it more panache, and I can understand why is sold for more, going for $2,002 on 14 bids. They are both awesome looking decks though.

Here is the first Mike McGill graphic ever, the Powell Peralta Mike McGill ‘F-14” from 1983. This is the 7ply version, and there was an earlier 6-ply version but they both had the same graphic. This is complete with Indys and Powell Cubics. It has seen its share of use, but is still in pretty good condition. That odd footprint sticker needs to go though. The Powell dragon on the tail can stay though! It sold for $460.

Here we have an Schmitt Stix Alan Midgette “Flower Picker” from 1988. It is in NOS condition, never set up or gripped, but does have an extra, mystery set of holes that have been drilled in the front truck area. The holes make no sense, as they would basically give the deck a 13” wheelbase and a 6” nose. Anyway, apart from that the thing is basically flawless. The colorway is supreme and the deck is rare. What more do you need? It sold for $750 with a BIN, and lasted for about 12 hours.

So here’s a Santa Monica Airlines/Santa Cruz Natas “Panther II” from 1986. This is the NHS version, lacing the fade in the leaves or the wheelwells, which the true SMA version had. It’s still a great looking deck though, and although this one has been mounted, the grip has been removed and it’s in very good condition. The colorway is great too. It sold for $639.

Here’s a Santa Cruz Corey O’Brien “Reaper” from 1988. This one is a top example of this graphic. It’s a min deck in black dip with the exquisite ghostly green background with red, yellow and blue main graphic. The seller claims he was offered $2400 for it, and if that was true he will be very disappointed because his actually went for less than half that amount, finishing at $1,199.

Here’s a Sims Jeff Phillips “tie dye demon” from 1987. This one is the mini version, and has been set up and ridden at some point. It is in very good condition though, and the colorway is outstanding. The white dip with green and grey tie-dye is eye catching, and the red in the type works really well. I would definitely remove the plastics as they make the deck look small and cramped. Anyway, this sold for $306 on 23 bids.

Here is a rare one: the Santa Cruz “Psychotic” team deck from 1986. It’s been setup and ridden but the graphic is in good condition overall. It’s an unusual colorway as the normal one you see is black dip with pink, white and blue, but this one is purple with orange, yellow and white. It sold for $420.

And here is an Alva Eddie Reategui “Warrior” from 1987. This one is in NOS condition: never mounted or gripped. The natural deck with green and blue colorway is nice. It sold for $350.

Here’s an interesting set of three Shut Shark team decks from 1989. You get the red stain, natural and green stain. All are in NOS condition, never gripped or mounted. It’s a highly unusual auction, and a chance to own three really nice late 80s decks from a small core company. I would imagine that you would see this set broken up and sold as separates. The set is a real winner and it sold for $1,200.

Here’s an interesting one! It’s the Suregrip International Steve Steadham “Bomber” from 1986. I had plenty of stickers of this graphic but I’m not sure if I ever saw the deck itself? Anyway, it’s a nice looking deck, with the grey clouds on the white dip and the blue, yellow and pink graphic. This is the epoxy/glass version of the deck. It sold for $500 on 4 bids.

Here we have a Town and Country “Burst” deck from 1984. It’s in NOS condition, never mounted or gripped. It has some storage marks etc., but is basically as minty fresh as you might ever find this graphic. T&C decks of this vintage are becoming super collectible, and this one sold for $660 on 11 bids.

And here we have classic G&S Danny Webster “Shocker” from 1987. It is his first graphic, and he was one of the first British skaters to move to the USA and get a pro model. It’s in NOS condition, never gripped or mounted. The graphic isn’t great, but the colorway is probably the best I’ve seen for this graphic, but of course that’s not saying much. It’s a very rare deck actually, and it sold for $370.

Here’s your classic Powell Peralta Per Welinder “Nordic Skull” from 1987. It’s mint in shrink and in the super classic blue dip with ivory and red graphic. It’s a deck you see a lot, but that didn’t stop the price from exploding at Xmas, because it sold for a large $1,914 on 27 bids. That’s crazy actually, about double what I would have expected.

And finally from the 80s this month we have this Tracker Dan Wilkes “Dino Channel Air” from 1986. It’s NOS, but does have some scratches and scuffs from storage etc. This is Dan’s first graphic, and although the colorway is average at best (I don’t like light colors on a natural wood), it is a rare deck in great condition. It ended up going for $510 on 19 bids.

90s-present day

Here we have a 101 “Vampire Girl” team deck from 1994. It’s mint in shrink and a real beauty. Close up she is very nicely rendered, and this is a quality early 90s deck. It sold for $425.

Here we have a Zorlac Abrook brothers “Butterfly” from 1991. It’s in NOS condition, never gripped or mounted as you can see. It’s an interesting Pushead graphic, and the wood grain is nice, but the dark stain doesn’t do much for me at all. It has the double front truck holes for the variable nose length. It sold for $750 on a Buy It Now and only lasted around 16 minutes.

Here is a Powell Peralta “Big Cheese” Quartermaster Cup deck from 1991. It was a custom deck made for the Quartermaster Cup contest in October 1991, so it’s very rare for PP collectors. It’s that classic late 1991 hybrid shape: double drilled nose and shape that was morphing into a big popsicle. It sold for $1,000.

Here’s a Santa Cruz Tim Brauch “RIP” deck from 1998. Well actually this isn’t the RIP deck: this was his last pro model before he passed, and then SC reissued it in blue as the RIP deck. It’s a fitting graphic tribute and it sold for $355.

Here we have a Santa Monica Airlines Mike Conroy “Mask” deck from 1990/91. It’s mint and in a very fetching black dip. The black almost looks matte, and the yellows and blues really pop. It’s an eye-catching deck, and is actually being sold my Mike Conroy. It ended up going for $545 on 14 bids.

Here’s a set of Star Wars decks from GAS (Great American Skateboards) from 1992. The graphics are sublimated, not screened, which is probably why they look so dull. It’s an interesting set, from a time where deck runs were short anyway, and in a case like this where a cease and desist was likely, even shorter! The set ended up going for $999 on 1 bid, so demand was not high!

This is the Fishlips Mark Rogowski “7 Eleven” deck from 1991. It was Gator’s last pro model, and came out right after he left Vision and before he got arrested. The owners of Fishlips mortgaged everything on this, and when he was put away they lost it all. This deck is NOS, never mounted or gripped. It ended up going for $295 on 11 bids.

And finally from the 90s this month we have this Blind Mark Gonzales “Fish Car Collage” deck from 1990. It comes complete with Ventures and Powell G-Bones, and is in fantastic shape. It looks barely ridden: remove the trucks and peel the stickers and you’d have almost a NOS Gonz. The colorway is great too: normally you see this in green or grey, but the red is really bright. It ended up going for $1,000.

Assorted Crap

Ooooh, check out these 70s wheels! They are a set of Dynastar SBR wheels complete with bearings. They were designed with “two distinct colors and respective coefficients of friction”! The orange was the harder urethane, and SBR stands for “Super Bowl Rider”, designed specifically for parks and bowls. The Dynastars actually feature an aluminum hub with bearing inside of it, designed for switching between different sets of “tires”. They also had a freestyle wheel and a slalom wheel. The wheels could be purchased without the hub. The wheels were $9 apiece back in 1978, but sold for $566 in 2011!

And staying with the 70s wheels, we have this mint set of Road Rider 6 wheels. There’s not much else to say really! Mint RR6s! They sold for $234.

And here we have a set of two Designarium Natas Bulldog reissues from 2 years ago. They were really disappointing decks: poor heat transfer graphics that often weren’t straight, and decks that warped and yellowed. The white came first and was followed a few months later by the black. Here are both in an auction together, and they sold for $700. WTF is up for that?

Here we have a collection of over 600 stickers from the 70s, 80s and 90s. There’s plenty here for everybody to love: G&S, Powell Peralta, Santa Cruz, Blockhead, Powerflex, Variflex, etc. etc. There really is something for everyone! This collection sold for $1,777 on 29 bids. Now that’s serious cash, so you might want to break those old stickers out and give them a look-see.

And finally this month we have this vintage 80s Thrasher “Skate Outlaw” design t-shirt. It’s in light blue and is a size medium. It’s been worn and washed a lot throughout the years, so much so that the color is all faded! Now I remember this design and love it as much as the next old skater, but I probably wouldn’t pay $10 for it, let alone the $925 that this went for. Yes, that’s $925 on 10 bids. So no, I don’t believe the economy is fucked because some folks clearly have more money than they know what to do with! And yes, you can still buy this shirt new from Thrasher for $18. And in a size that fits. I’m just saying…

Seeya next month.

-Neil